Racing in Central Park is Back

After only holding 2 races in 2020 and a handful of races at the end of 2021 season - one of cycling’s greatest racing venues will be back in full swing. Membership for the 2022 Century Road Club Association’s (CRCA) Club Series opened this week (2/14) to offer a full season calendar: 12 races in Central Park, NYC.

What is CRCA?

CRCA (Century Road Club Association) is New York City's premier cycling organization, hosting a variety of cycling events in the New York City area. The Club was founded in 1898 and operates to this day as a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organization. CRCA is open to all USAC licensed cyclists. All racing/season pass members have access to the famous CRCA Club Series in Central Park, and all members (including associate members) receive access to the season-long free coaching program. 

Club Series

CRCA operates a 12 race, member-only season in Central Park. These races all start at Cat’s Paw and have various finish locations and points formats. Each race comes with 5 fields aligning to both men and women’s racing categories. As of 2020, CRCA began leveraging timing chips for faster scoring and individual lap times for racers. Dates for the 2022 race season are:

• Sunday, March 6

• Saturday, April 2

• Saturday, April 9

• Saturday, April 16

• Saturday, May 14

• Sunday, May 22

• Sunday, June 19

• Sunday July 17

• Sunday, August 7

• Saturday, August 13

• Sunday, August 14

• Saturday, September 3

New Membership Portal

The CRCA Board has rolled out significant upgrades to it’s membership sign-up portal. A slick new UI and streamlined flow will walk new and past season members through the sign-up process.

1. Select a membership tier

Updated Membership Tiers & Fees. New for 2022: Inspired by similar initiatives in the sport and in an effort to bring more accessibility to bike racing in NYC, CRCA will be introducing equity-based membership pricing and payouts proportional to the average gender pay gap in the U.S. According to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' annual report on the gender wage gap, women currently make 82% of the salary of a man in equivalent roles. For 2022, the membership pricing for women/trans/femme racers will be 82% of regular racing membership. Elite podium payouts for Open races will also reflect this gap.

2. Personal Details

Collect or confirm your personal details and emergency contact information. If a returning member, most of this will be on file.

3. Select marshal dates

CRCA’s Club Series and Open races cannot happen without the volunteerism of members, and racers make the best marshals because you fully understand the nature of racing bicycles in Central Park and NYC. CRCA’s goal is to ensure safety - for racers and other park users alike. CRCA’s former Marshal Captain, Paulette, has retired, and members will no longer be able to hire paid marshals through Paulette, her successors, or the Marshal Director.

Donor members are exempt from marshaling as are juniors. Season Pass holders must commit to two dates and volunteer pass members must commit to three dates.

4. Upload documentation for marshal / racing waivers & proof of vaccination

Covid-19 Vaccine Requirements In order to provide the utmost safety to CRCA and community members, we will now require all adults taking part in any 2022 race, event or coaching program to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19. Accepted vaccines authorized by the United States Food & Drug Administration or the World Health Organization: Johnson & Johnson: One dose, Moderna: Two doses, Pfizer: Two doses, AstraZeneca: Two doses, Sinopharm: Two doses, Sinovac: Two doses. If you are eligible for a vaccine exemption, please submit a written request including any related documentation instead.

5. Agree to CRCA policies

Confirm / acknowledge CRCA’s marshaling, waiver, Central Park Protocol, and vaccination policy. Agree that you, as an athlete, are in good standing w/ governing bodies including USAC.

6. Enter in an existing timing chip

Applicable to returning members from the 2020 and 2021 seasons - you can enter in the serial number for your timing chip from a previous season to avoid purchasing a new one for the 2022 race season.

7. Checkout flow for collecting credit card information

General Reminders (from CRCA)

• New Members: before participating in the CRCA Club Series all new club members who are USAC category 4 and Novice riders must participate in a free New Member Skills session to learn essential bike handling skills for staying safe in a race. Check for the next session on the Calendar.

• Sub-team Requirement: each member of a CRCA sub-team who races must have "Century Road Club Association" as the club affiliation on their USAC license and must be a dues-paying Member of CRCA. Each sub-team must have at least 50% of its members as CRCA Racing members, but a sub-team may have up to 50% of its roster as Associate members. A sub-team may have non-CRCA members as part of a team, but only in a support or administrative position